Why Charlie Weasley Calls Oliver Wood Green Olive
by Someone aka Me
Summary: Or, Weasley. Spelled W-O-O-D. Because Oliver might as well be a Weasley."Oliver is pretty much the only one that's ever been friends with every single Weasley boy, each by his own merit." No pairings.


Why Charlie Weasley Calls Oliver Wood Green Olive

Or, Weasley. Spelled W-O-O-D.

AN: Written in one sitting, unbetaed, but I rather like it.

Oliver is pretty much the only one that's ever been friends with every single Weasley boy, each by his own merit, and not just because they're brothers of his friends.

The first one he ever meets is Percy Weasley. Percy is sorted into Gryffindor just moments before Oliver himself, though Oliver takes little notice of the two redheads that mob the other boy at the time. They are the only first year Gryffindor boys this year, and they share a dorm.

Other people don't understand why Oliver _likes_ Percy, rather than just tolerating him. They look surface deep and see the brainy, rule-following nerd and the Quidditch nut. Everyone else only sees the differences.

But Oliver relates to Percy in a way he's never really related to anyone else. They have the same intense kind of focus on the one thing they're devoted to more than anything else. They have the same intensity, the same obsession. No one else ever really gets that, and it's this that cements the two boys as best friends.

And it's no surprise they stay friends, because, for both of them, the other is the only one they can talk to that really _understands._

The second one Oliver meets is Bill Weasley. Oliver's flunking Charms. Absolutely flunking. He just doesn't get it at all. And Percy, Merlin bless the boy, is abso-freaking-lutely _terrible_ at Charms. He still gets Os, of course. Problem is, he BSes his way through every essay and practices every spell relentlessly. He can't explain it to anyone else for the life of him. So Oliver goes to Flitwick. The diminutive Professor simply gives him a piece of parchment with a few words on it.

Bill

Library - Charms Section

5-7 Monday or Wednesday

Oliver shrugs and figures it can't hurt. He shows up in the library the following Monday, and he is surprised to find that "Bill" is Bill Weasley, Percy's 5th Year brother. Oliver sits down, expecting Bill to be like Percy.

He's not.

Sure, Bill is intense, but not the way Percy is. He's fierce and actually a little bit scary, if Oliver's perfectly honest. But he's also enthralling, and he makes Charms easy and thrilling, and Oliver starts dragging Percy with him, and despite the awkwardness, Percy starts to really _get_ Charms. And it's no surprise that Bill and Oliver stay friends even after the tutoring is unnecessary.

The third one he meets is Charlie Weasley. Oliver likes the boy immediately. It's second year now, Quidditch tryouts. Oliver is bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and Charlie has talked to Percy and knows that Oliver wants this more than anything, but Charlie doesn't play favorites.

Percy is in the stands with Bill, watching as Oliver, by far the smallest one trying out for Keeper, stops every single Quaffle thrown his way. None of the others come anywhere near matching him.

After tryouts, after Charlie has announced the team and the disappointed ones have all left, Charlie gathers the new team around are only two new players this year, Oliver, and a new Chaser. Introductions go around, and Charlie dismisses the team, but he holds Oliver back.

"You may be some green little second year, Wood. You may be my little brother's best friend, and you may have Bill wrapped around your finger as well." Charlie's serious, looking into Oliver's eyes. "But I want you to know this. I don't care about any of that. I don't play favorites. You made it onto this team of your own merit. You'll stay by your own merit. Don't ever doubt that."

And Oliver nods solemnly, staring in awe at the Gryffindor Seeker who is kinda sorta his hero. Charlie laughs. "Man, you really are a greenie, aren't you?"

And that's when Charlie starts calling him Green Olive, and Oliver never minds that, really, it's kind of an insult, because from Charlie, it's just not.

And it's no surprise that Oliver and Charlie stay friends, given their similar obsessions with Quidditch.

He meets his fourth and fifth Weasley brothers at the same time, because of course, they're always joined at the hip. Fred and George. Or Gred and Forge, depending on who you ask. It's Oliver's fourth year, now. His third as the Gryffindor Keeper. Tryouts. Again. Oliver's really only there to test out the Chasers, because, really, everyone knows Gryffindor won't find a better Keeper than they already have. It's Beaters they're looking for this year.

All the potential Beaters are lined up in pairs, which Charlie says is a good thing, because he won't sign two Beaters who don't know each other, no matter if they're the best or not. The key to Beating is synchronicity, Charlie always says, and Wood agrees. The Beaters have to be completely in synch to field both Bludgers at once.

As Charlie sends the attempters into the air, Oliver can already tell who their new Beaters will be. Fred and George don't speak, but they play off each other perfectly.

Charlie hates to do it, for fear of people accusing him of playing favorites, but the losers can't even accuse him of that. Fred and George are very clearly the best.

Oliver walks up the the twins and congratulate them on their success, and they exchange an identical grin. Oliver's immediately wary.

Fred and George each sling an arm over his shoulders and whisper conspiratorially into his ear, in perfect unison, "So, what's it like having our bookish prat of a brother as your roommate?"

Oliver pulls away, hesitates, and then decks each of them, first one, then the other.

Fred and George stare at him in shock.

"You may be his brothers, but that still doesn't give you the right to insult him," Oliver threatens protectively. The twins exchange another identical grin.

"So this is why ickle Percykins doesn't get picked on!" they chorus. Oliver's eyes flash dangerously.

They hold up their hands in acquiescence. "All right, all right."

Oliver grins, and extends a hand to help them up.

And it's no surprise they stay friends. After all, Oliver punched their lights out to protect their brother, and Fred and George respect that.

The last Weasley brother Oliver ever meets is Ron. Oliver's Quidditch Captain now, and Percy's a prefect, and it seems like they never get to spend any time together, but they're still friends, and Oliver still writes both Charlie and Bill quite frequently. He asks Gred and Forge if Ron plays Quidditch, but they frown and mutter that he only plays Keeper, so Oliver knows he won't be adding another Weasley to the team this year, not that he even could, because Ron is a Firstie. Oliver is a bit panicked, because tryouts yielded nothing by way of Seekers. No one even showed up to try out for Seeker, which has never happened before. Oliver is at a loss.

Then he meets Potter, and everything changes. He really believes that Gryffindor has an excellent shot at the Cup this year, with Potter on their side. He really doesn't understand why they didn't win more often with Charlie (Gryffindor seems to be cursed with incredibly good players and incredibly bad luck), but Harry Potter is even better than Charlie ever was, and Oliver isn't afraid to tell Charlie so.

He meets Ron when the boy dedicatedly comes down for every practice, rain or shine. On this particular day, it's pouring buckets, and Ron's waiting outside the changing rooms for Harry.

"Weasley."

Ron looks up.

"Wood," he nods.

"Why do you come to practice when it rains?" he asks.

"Why do you?" Ron returns.

Oliver furrows his eyebrows. "Because I'm on the team?" he answers, but it's more a question because he really doesn't understand what Ron is asking.

Ron nods.

"Because I want to be," Ron says, and Wood is surprised by this boy who sits in the rain, despite the fact that he may – probably – never get the chance to play. And Oliver understands this boy, because he has the Weasley intensity. He won't give up.

"And because Harry's my best mate," he tacks on. So he also has the infallible Weasley loyalty. And Oliver desperately wants to ask Ron to be reserve Keeper, but he can't because the kid is a Firstie, and because he's never actually seen him play.

So Wood just nods.

"You'll get there," he says, and their friendship is cemented right there. It's never a strong one, but they respect each other, and they understand each other, and Oliver's really the only one who can compete with Ron in Wizard's Chess anyway.

And it's no surprise they stay friends.


End file.
